East Coaster of the Day: 1988 BMW 528e
When you have two or more older vehicles you don’t want to sell and you keep looking for another, you call yourself a collector, right? Some call it a fever or an addiction.
Gary Black, of Debert, Nova Scotia, who owns three BMW cars, calls it a sickness. Whatever you call it, it’s a fun, sometimes expensive, sometimes frustrating pastime.
Gary’s 1988 BMW 528e is near-perfect.
BMW’s second-generation 5 Series produced several firsts for the brand
The E28 (BMW internal nomenclature) is the second generation of the venerable 5 Series from the German stalwart. This generation was produced from 1981 until 1988.
Development for this generation began in 1975. Apparently at the time, BMW had only one computer which was used to manage payroll and keep track of spare parts inventory. The E28 design team had to ‘borrow’ this computer to perform the necessary calculations to develop the new drivetrain and chassis.
The E28 generation produced several firsts for BMW. The first M5 debuted in 1985. It was the first generation and the first BMWs to offer a diesel engine, cruise control, an on-board computer showing trip information and a ‘check control’ panel that informed the driver about fluid levels and lighting issues.
It also was the first generation to offer anti-lock brakes.
A lot of firsts for this well-loved car. It’s not Gary’s first BMW, we know that. And it probably won’t be his last.
